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in  2011  with  funding  from 

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toNN 
S 

Bulletin  283  January.  1927  J 


Olmtttprttrut  Agrtrultural  lExprnntpnt  Station 

53'rm  3Haupn.  (Eonntttunt 


The  Quality  of  Vegetable  Seed  Sold 
in  Packets  in  Connecticut 


In  cooperation  with 
The  Commisaioner  of  Agriculture 


The  Bulletins  of  this  Station  are  mailed  free  to  citizens  of  Connecticut 
who  apply  for  them,  and  to  others  as  far  as  the  editions  permit. 


CONNECTICUT  AGRICULTURAL    EXPERIMENT   STATION 

OFFICERS  AND  STAFF 


BOARD  OF  CONTROL 
His  Excellency,  Governor  John  H.  Trumbull,  cx^officio,  President. 

Charles  R.  Treat,  Vice  President  Orange 

George  A.  Hopson,  Secretary Mount  Carmel 

Wm.  L.  Slate,  Jr.,  Treasurer New  Haven 

Joseph  W.  Alsop  Avon 

Elijah  Rogers  Southington 

Edward  C.  Schneider  Middletown 

Francis  F.  Lincoln   Cheshire 


Administration. 


Chemistry: 
Analytical 
Laboratory. 


Biochemical 
Laboratory. 


Botany. 


Entomology. 


STAFF. 
E.   H.  Jenkins,  Ph.D.,  Director  Emeritus. 


Forestry. 


Plant  Breeding 
Soil  Research. 


Tobacco  Sub-station 
at  Windsor. 


Wm.   L.   Slate,  Jr.,   B.Sc,  Director  atid   Treasurer. 
Miss  L.  M.  Brautlecht,  Bookkeeper  and  Librarian. 

J.   V.   Berger,   Stenographer  and  Bookkeeper. 

Mary  E.   Bradley,  Secretary. 

Graham,  7n  charge  of  Buildings  and  Grcunds. 


Miss 
Miss 
G.  E 


Assistant  Chemists. 


E.   M.  Bailey,  Ph.D.,  Chemist  in  Charge. 

C.  E.  Shepard 

Owen    L.   Nolan 

Harry  J.  Fisher,  A.B. 

W.  T.  Mathis 

Frank  C.  Sheldon,  Laboratory  Assistant. 

V.  L.  Churchill,  Sampling  Agent. 

Miss  Mabel  Bacon,  Stenographer. 

T.  B.  Osborne,  Ph.D.,  Chemist  in  Charge, 
H.  B.  VicKERY,  Ph.D.,  Biochemist. 
Miss  Helen  C.  Cannon,  B.S.,  Dietitian. 

G.  P.  Clinton,  Sc.D.,  Botanist  in  Charge. 

E.  M.  Stoddard,  B.S^  Pomologist. 

Miss  Florence  A.  McCormick,  Ph.D.,  Pathologist. 

Willis  R.  Hunt,  Ph.D.,  Assistant  in  Botany. 

A.  D.  McDonnell,  General  Assistant. 
Mrs.  W.  W.  Kelsey,  Secretary. 

W.  E.  Britton,  Ph.D.,  Entomologist  in  Charge- 
also   State   Entomologist. 

B.  H.   Walden,   B.Agr.      ] 

M.   p.  Zappe,  B.S.  >  Assistant  Entomologists. 

Philip   Garman,   Ph.D.     J 

Roger  B.   Friend,   B.Sc,  Graduate  Assistant. 

John  T.  Ashworth,  Deputy  in  Charge  of  Gipsy  Moth   Work. 

R.  C.  Botsford,  Deputy  in  Charge  of  Mosquito  Eliminatioii. 

Miss  Grace  A.  Foote,  B.A,,  Secretary. 

Walter  O.  Filley,  Forester  in  Charge. 
H.  W.  HicocK,  M.F.,  Assistant  Forester. 

E.  Riley,  Jr..  M.F.,  In  Charge  of  Blister  Rust  Control. 
iss  Pauline  A.  Merchant,  Stenographer. 

Donald  F.  Jones,  S.D.,  Geneticist  in  Charge. 
H.  R.  Murray,  B.S.,  Graduate  Assistant. 


li 


F.  Morgan,  M.S.,  Investigator. 

G,  M.  Jacobson,  M.S.,  Assistant. 


Paul  J.  Anderson,  Ph.D.,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 
N.  T.  Nelson,  Ph.D.,  Plant  Physiologist. 


THE    TUTTLE,     MOREHOUSE     &    TAYLOR     COMPANY 


The  Quality  of  Vegetable  Seed  Sold  in 
Packets  in  Connecticut 

By  E.  M.  Stoddard  and  A.  D.  McDonnell. 

Connecticut  has  no  "pure  seed  law,"  but  for  many  years  the 
Experiment  Station  has  made  a  practice  of  examining  seed  for 
germination  and  purity.  The  Report  for  1877  contains  a  table 
giving  the  results  on  33  samples  of  vegetable,  grass  and  clover 
seed  and  from  time  to  time  the  Reports  of  the  Station  have 
included  the  data  on  tests  of  seeds  for  a  given  year  or  a  series 
of  years.  In  fact,  the  Station  was  a  pioneer  in  this  field,  having 
made  in  the  early  years  a  special  study  of  methods  and  has 
always  made  seed  tests  for  farmers  and  growers  as  a  part  of  its 
educational  and  service  work. 

Citizens  of  the  state  may  send  samples  for  testing  with  the 
understanding  that  the  results  will  be  published  but  the  number 
and  distribution  of  such  samples  is  not  sufficient  to  furnish  real 
information  as  to  the  quality  of  seed  offered  for  sale  on  the  open 
market.  The  quality  of  field  and  vegetable  seeds  has  steadily 
risen  as  farmers  have  learned  to  demand  better  seeds,  but  there 
is  occasionally  a  suggestion  that  some  seed,  especially  that  sold 
in  small  packets,  is  not  as  good  as  it  should  be.  With  the  purpose 
of  examining  such  seed  and  determining  its  quality  this  study  was 
made. 

The  seed  was  purchased  in  sealed  packets  at  retail  prices  rang- 
ing from  5  cents  to  20  cents  each.  The  tests  made  were  for 
germination  only,  there  being  no  consideration  given  to  the  purity 
of  the  sample ;  to  the  size  of  the  packets ;  to  the  weight  of  the 
seed ;  to  its  freedom  from  disease ;   or  to  any  other  point. 

The  standard  methods  of  procedure  were  followed  in  making 
the  tests.  In  brief,  200  seeds  were  selected  from  each  sample  to 
be  germinated.  These  seeds  were  put  in  a  standard  germinating 
chamber  in  duplicate  lots  of  100  seeds  each,  the  smaller  seeds  being 
placed  on  a  substratum  of  blotting  paper,  and  the  larger  seed 
such  as  corn,  peas,  and  beans,  on  flannel  cloth.  The  substratum 
was  kept  moist  by  daily  applications  of  unsterilized  water.  Each 
sample  of  seed  was  kept  in  the  germinating  chamber  for  the 
standard  number  of  days  required  to  germinate  such  seed.  In 
no  case  was  any  sample  allowed  any  special  consideration. 

SEASON  OF  1925. 

In  1925,  the  Station  agent  purchased  in  the  course  of  his 
sampling  trips  57  samples  representing  the  stock  of  14  growers 
or  distributors.  These  were  tested  for  germination  and  the 
results  are  given  in  Table  I. 


CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION  BULLETIN    283 

Table  I.     Seed  Germination  Tests  of  1925. 


Grower  or  Distributor;    and  Variety  of  Seed 


Sold  by 


F.  T.  Bliss  Hardware  Co., 
South  Manchester. 

Carrot,  Danvers  Half  Long 

Lettuce,  Hartford  Bronze  Head 

Spinach,  Long  Standing 


W.  A.  Burpee  &  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Penn. 

Carrot,  Long  Orange  

Lettuce,  Big  Boston 

Onion,  Yellow  Globe 


Clapp  &  Treat,  Hartford,  Conn. 

Cucumber,  White  Spine 

Lettuce,  Big  Boston 

Onion,  Danvers  Yellow  Flat 


D.  M.  Ferry,  Detroit,  Mich. 

Carrot,  Imp.  Long  Orange 

Corn,  Early  Sweet 

Lettuce,  Simpson's  Early  Curled  . . . 

Onion,  Imp.  Yellow  Globe 

Peas,  Nott's  Excelsior  

Spinach,  Thick  Leaf  Round  Seeded 


Chas.  C.  Hart  Seed  Co.,  Wethersfield, 
Conn. 

Carrot,  Danvers  Half  Long  Stump  Root. . 

Corn,  Hart's  Early  Dawn  

Peas,  Nott's  Excelsior  Early  Dwarf   

Lettuce,  Big  Boston 

Onion,  Red  Wethersfield  


Lake  Shore  Seed  Co.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Corn,  Ea.  Minnesota 

Lettuce,  Salamander   

Onion,  Southport  Yellow  Globe  

Spinach,  Round  Leaf   


D.  Landreth  Seed  Co.,  Bristol,  Penn. 

Carrot,  Danvers  Half  Long 

Lettuce,  Salamander  

Onion,  Sport  Red  Globe 


Lyman  Seed  Co.,  Springfield,  Mass. 

Cucumber,  White  Spine  

Spinach,  Thick  Leaf  


F.  T.  Bliss  Hardware  Co., 

South  Manchester. 


Harrison  &  Gould,  Milford. 


u  n 


S.  p.  Strople,  New  Britain. 


F.  B.  Newton,   Plainville. 


G.  W.  Thorpe,  West  Cheshire. 

tt  a  ti  Uc 

t(  It  ti  it 

Bacon  Bros.,  Middletown. 
tt  tt  tt 

Collins  &  Freeman,  Branford. 


Stillman  Hardware  Co., 

New  Canaan. 


Bacon  Bros.,  ^liddletown. 


PACKET   VEGETABLE    SEED 
Table  I.     Seed  Germination  Tests  of  ig2^— Concluded. 


Grower  or  Distributor;    and  Variety  of  Seed 


New  Britain  Seed  Store,  New  Britain, 
Conn. 

Carrot,  Danvers  Half  Long  

Lettuce,  Big  Boston  

Onion,  Red  Wethersfield  

Northrup-King  Co,,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

Beet,  Early  Blood  Turnip  

Carrot,  Imp.  Danvers  Half  Long 

Lettuce,  Grand  Rapids   

Lettuce,  Round  Thick  Leaf 

Onion,  Large  Wethersfield  

Peas,  American  Wonder  

Olds  &  Whipple,  Hartford,  Conn. 

Cucumber,  Boston  Pickling 

Lettuce,  Early  Curled  Silesia  

Onion,  Southport  Red  Globe   

Spinach,  Long  Standing 

Page  Seed  Co.,  Greene,  N.  Y. 

Carrot,  Chantenay  

Corn,  Stowell's  Evergreen  

Lettuce,  Grand  Rapids  

Onion,  Wethersfield    

Spinach,  Thick  Leaved  

J.  B.  Rice  Seed  Co.,  Cambridge,  N.  Y. 

Carrot,  Danvers  Half  Long 

Corn,  Country  Gentleman  

Lettuce,  Big  Boston   

Onion,  Wethersfield  Large  Red 

Peas,  Premium  Gem  Dwarf  

Spinach,  Bloomsdale  Savoy  

Ross  Bros.  Co.,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Beet,  Crosby's  Eg^'ptian  

Carrot,  Danvers  Half  Long 

Lettuce,  Big  Boston 

Onion,  Yellow  Globe  Danvers  


c 

•*H     O 

■s  " 

Sold  by 

.  i;.S 

"6 

finO 

S.  R 

Strople, 

New  Britain. 

74-5 
84.0 

57-5 

F.  W.  Woolworth  Co., 

78.0 

Winsted. 

84.0 

« 

« 

(( 

51-5 

" 

80.S 

" 

« 

« 

87.0 

« 

95.S 

S.  P. 

Strople, 

New  Britain. 

93.S 

" 

** 

740 

" 

945 
73-5 

R.  W 

Hine, 

Cheshire. 

76.5 
86.0 

" 

" 

" 

91.0 

" 

83.0 

61.0 

Bristol  Grain 

Co.,  Bristol. 

73-5 

'■ 

'* 

72.5 

81.0 

« 

« 

(          <( 

83.0 
89..S 

78.S 

W.  R. 

Bosworth,  Woodstock. 

80.S 

'■ 

« 

" 

775 
81.0 

« 

" 

" 

90.0 

CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION  BULLETIN    283 


SEASON  OF  1926. 

The  inspection  of  1925  showed  some  differences  in  quahty  but 
in  our  opinion  did  not  include  a  sufficient  number  of  samples  to 
warrant  publication.  In  order  to  secure  this  more  complete 
sampling  the  cooperation  of  the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture, 
Honorable  Philo  T.  Piatt,  was  solicited  and  readily  granted. 
Through  the  efforts  of  the  staff  of  the  Market  Reporting  Service 
of  the  State  Department  of  Agriculture  it  was  possible  to  obtain 
238  samples,  representing  10  growers  or  distributors.  These 
were  all  "packet  seeds"  purchased  in  the  open  market  by  the 
market  reporters  and  paid  for  by  the  Station.  The  results  of  the 
eermination  tests  are  eiven  in  Table  II. 


—  c 


PACKET   VEGETABLE    SEED 
Table  II.     Seed  Germination  Tests  of  1926. 


Grower  or  Distributor;    and  Variety  of  Seed 


The  American  Seed  Co.,  Detroit,  Mich. 

Beans,  Dwarf  Golden  Wax 

"       Kentucky  Wonder    

Beet,  Early  Egyptian  Blood  Turnip 

"  "      Blood  Turnip   

Carrot,  Oxheart  

"        Danvers  Half  Long  

Corn,  Country  Gentleman  

Cucumber,  Early  White  Spine   

"  Boston  Pickling   

Lettuce,  E^rly  Prize  Head  

"        Butter   

"        Grand  Rapids  

Peas,  Extra  Early  

Radish,  Early  Long  Scarlet  

"        Short  Top  Early  Scarlet  Turnip.. 

"        Early  Scarlet  Globe 

Squash,  Early  Summer  Crookneck 


Sold  by 


S.  S.  Kresge  Co.,  Danbury. 


Spinach,  Improved  Thick  Leaved 


W.  Atlee  Burpee  &  Co.,  Philadelphia, 

Penn.  ' 

Beans,  Bountiful    Jackson-Marvin  Hdw.  Co. 


Burgess  Stringless  Green  Pod 

White  Wax  Bush    

"        Brittlewax    

Beet.  Black  Red  Ball   

"      Columbia    

"      Detroit  Dark  Red  

"      Burpee's  Improved  Blood  Turnip  . 

Carrot,  Chantenay   

"        Danvers  Half  Long  Orange 

'■        Oxheart    

"        Burpee's  Improved  Long  Orange. 

Cucumber,  Fordhook    

"  Burpee's  Fordhook  Famous   . 

"  Fordhook   Pickling    

"  Green  Prolific   

Lettuce,  Big  Boston    

'■  May  King   

"  Iceberg  

"  Wonderful     

Radish,  New  White  Icicle 

"  Burpee's  Earliest   

Rapid  Red   

"  Scarlet   Globe    

Spinach,  Henderson's  Long  Green 

"         Burpee's  Victoria 


Westville. 


0-- 

s  ^ 


I04  CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION  BULLETIN    283 

Table  II.     Seed  Germination  Tests  of  1926 — Continued. 


Grower  or   Distributor;    and  Variety  of   Seed 


Sold  by 


W.  Atlee  Burpee  &  Co.,  Philadelphia, 
Penn. — Cont. 

Spinach,  Norfolk  Savoy-leaved  

"         Burpee's  Princess  Juliana  

Clapp  &  Treat,  Inc.,  Hartford,  Conn. 

Beans,  Golden  Wax   

"        Six  Weeks   

Beet,  Eclipse    

"      Early  Blood  Turnip 

"       Crosby's  Egyptian  

"       Bassano    

Carrot,  Improved  Long  Orange   

"         Danvers  Half  Long 

Cucumber,  Improved  White  Spine  

"  Green  Cluster  

"  Early  Frame 

"  Improved  Long  Green  

Lettuce,  Hartford  Bronze  Head 

"         Cos  Trianon    

"        Simpson's  Early  Curled  

"        May  King 

Radish,  Early  Scarlet  Turnip   

"         French  Breakfast 

"         Icicle    

"         Round  Black  Spanish  

Spinach,  New  Zealand 

"  Thick  Leaved    

"  Long  Standing  

Round    

D.  M.  Ferry  &  Co.,  Detroit,  Mich. 

Beans,  Golden  Wax  Bush , 

"        Dwarf  Unrivalled  Wax  Bush 

Beet,  Early  Blood  Turnip  , 

"      Detroit  Dark  Red 

"       Crosby's  Egyptian 

Cabbage,  Mammoth  Rock  Red 

Carrot,  Early  Scarlet  Horn , 

"         Chantenay    

"         Half  Long  Scarlet 

"         Danvers 

Cucumber,  Boston  Pickling   

"  Improved  Long  Green  

Early.White  Spine 

"      Short  Green 

Lettuce,  Mammoth  Black  Seeded  Butter. 

"         Ferry's  Early  Prize  Head 

"         California  Cream  Butter 

May  King  


Jackson-Marvin  Hdw.  Co., 

Westville. 


Clapp  &  Treat,  Inc.,  Hartford. 


A.  H.  Watt,  Redding  Ridge. 


PACKET   VEGETABLE    SEED 


105 


Table  II.     Seed  Germination  Tests  of  ig26— Continued. 


Grower  or  Distributor;    and  Variety  of  Seed 


Sold  b% 


D.  M.  Ferry  &  Co.,  Detroit,  Mich.— Com^ 

Lettuce,  Big  Boston   

Black  Seeded  Simpson   

Radish,  Icicle    

Early  Scarlet  Turnip  White  Tip. . 


"         French  Breakfast 

"         Improved  Chartier  

Spinach,  Long  Standing  Prickly  Seeded. 

"         New  Zealand  

"         Thick  Leaved  Round 

Squash,  Summer  Crookneck 


A.  H.  Watt,  Redding  Ridge. 


The  Chas.  C.  Hart  Seed  Co., 
Wethersfield,  Conn. 

Beet,  Early  Dewing's  Blood  Turnip  . 

Detroit  Dark  Red 

Carrot,  Danvers  Half  Long 

Cucumber,  Improved  White  Spine  . . 

"  Boston  Pickling   

"  Davis  Perfect   

Lettuce,  Early  Prize  Head  

"         Simpson's  Early  Curled   . . . 

"        Big  Boston  Head   

Parsnip,  Long  Smooth  Sugar 

Radish,  Early  Round  Scarlet  

Sage   

Squash,  Giant  Summer  Crookneck  . . 
Spinach,  Early  Giant  Thick  Leaf  . . . 


H.   E.   Meekers.   Danburv. 


Lake  Shore  Seed  Co..  Dunkirk,  N.  Y. 

Beans,  Henderson's  Bush  Lima W.  E.   Daley.  Bethel. 

"        Red  Valentine  '"  '"  " 

Beet,  Dewing's  Improved  Blood  "  "  " 

Detroit  Dark  Red   I 

Carrot,  Oxheart    ;       "  "  " 

"        Danvers    |       "  "  " 

Corn,  Stowell's  Evergreen   "  "  " 

"      Golden  Bantam  '       " 

Cucumber,  Peerless  White  Spine 

"  Improved  Long  Green  

"  Boston  Pickling   , 

Lettuce,  Prize  Head   , 

"         Cos 

"         Wilson's  Early  Cabbage  

Radish,  Early  Red  Turnip   , 

"        Assorted   , 

Squash,  Golden  Summer  Crookneck 

Spinach,  Round  Leaf  , 


70.S 
76.0 

97-5 
770 
930 
48.0 
83.5 
84.0 
85.5 
76.0 


lo6  CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION  BULLETIN    283 

Table  II.     Seed  Germination  Tests  of  1926 — Continued. 


Grower  or   Distributor;    and  Variety  of   Seed 


Northrup-King  Co.,  Minneapolis,  Minn 

Beans,  Kentucky  Wonder  Pole ■ 

■'         Early  Dwarf  Black  Wax 

Beet,  Edmund's  Improved  Blood  Turnip. 

Carrot,  Qiantenay    

"         Oxheart    

Cucumber,  Improved  White  Spine  

Long  Green 

■'  Chicago   Pickling   

Lettuce,  Grand  Rapids  

Black  Seeded  Simpson   

"  Improved  Hanson  Head  

Radish,  Early  Scarlet  Turnip   

"     ■    French  Breakfast  

"         Sterling  White  Tip  

Spinach,  Round  Thick  Leaved   

Squash,  Golden  Summer  Crookneck 

Sweet  Corn.  Peep  o'  Day    

"  "        Golden  Bantam 

Olds  &  Whipple,  Inc.,  Hartford,  Conn, 
Beans,  Burpee's  Stringless    

"         Golden    Wax    

Beet,  Dewing's  Blood  

"      Crosby's   Egyptian    

"      Detroit  Dark  Red 

"      Swiss  Chard  

Carrot,  Early  Half  Long  Scarlet  

"         Danvers  Half  Long 

"         Early  Half  Long  Scarlet 

Cucumber,  London  Long  Green  

"  Davis  Perfect   

"  White   Spine    

"  Boston   Pickling   

Lettuce,  New  York  

"  Crisp-as-ice    

''  Early  Curled  Silesia 

"  Hanson  Head  

"  Tom  Hannock   

Radish,  Early  Scarlet  Turnip   

"         French  Breakfast 

Early  Scarlet  White  Tip  

"  "     Long  Scarlet 

Spinach,  New  Zealand  

"  Large  Viroflay   

"  Round  Thick  Leaf 


Sold  by 


F.  W.  Woolworth  Co., 

Hartford. 


Olds  &  Whipple,  Inc., 

Hartford. 


PACKET   VEGETABLE    SEED  I 07 

Table  II.     Seed  Germination  Tests  of  1926 — Concluded. 


Grower  or   Distributor;    and  Variety   of   Seed 


Sold  by 


The  Page  Seed  Co.,  Greene,  N.  Y 

Beans,  Page's  Golden  

"        Davis  White   

Beet,  Crosby's  Egyptian    

Detroit  Dark  Red  

"      Early  Blood  Turnip  

Carrot,  Oxheart   

"         Improved  Long  Orange 

"         Danvers  Half  Long 

Corn,  Golden  Bantam 

"       Stowell's  Evergreen    

"      Elarly  White  Cory  

Cucumber,  Long  Green   

"  Early  White  Spine 

"  Paris  Evergreen   

Lettuce,  Grand  Rapids  

"         Early  Prize  Head  

Radish,  French  Breakfast  

Early  Scarlet  White  Tip 

Squash,  Summer  Crookneck 

Spinach,  Bloomsdale  

"         Thick  Leaved    


The  Rice  Seed  Co.,  Cambridge,  N.  Y. 

Beans,  Dwarf  Rust-proof  Golden  Wax  . 

Black  Butter    

Beet,  New  Dark  Red  Eclipse 

■  "      Dewing's  Early  Blood  Turnip 

"      Long  Smooth  Dark  Blood 

Carrot,  True  Danvers  Half  Long 

"  Early  French  Short  Horn 

"         Rice's  Improved  Long  Orange  .  - 

Corn,  Golden  Bantam 

"        Crosby's  Early    

Cucumber,  Improved  Long  Green 

"  "  Early  White  Spine. 

"  Extra  Early  Green  Prolific  . . 

Lettuce,  Early  Curled  Silesia  

"  Black  Seeded  Simpson   

Radish,  True  French  Breakfast   

"         Extra  Early  Scarlet  Turnip  . . . . 

"  Early  Scarlet  Turnip  White  Tip. 

Squash,  Giant  Early  Summer  Crookneck. 


H.  E.  Meekers,  Danbury. 


It  ((  « 


H.  E.  Meekers,  Danbury. 


86.0 
66.5 
750 
83.0 
52.5 
54-5 
41.0 

72.0 
91.0 
82.5 
95-0 
90..S 
74.0 
950 
83..=; 
960 
70.0 
56.5 


87.0 
930 
76.S 
58.0 
62.0 
52.0 

450 

* 

* 

63.0 
* 

91.0 

50.5 
78.S 
91-5 
70.S 
67.5 
82.0 
79.0 


*XoTE :     This  sample  showed  a  variance  of  10%  or  more  between  the  duplicate  tests. 
An  insufficient  quantity  of  seed  on  hand  prevented  retesting  of  the  sample. 


Io8  CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION'  BULLETIN    283 


GERMINATION  STANDARDS  FOR  VEGETABLES. 

In  the  absence  of  official  standards  of  germination  for  vegetable 
seed  we  present  in  Table  III  a  standard  of  comparison  for  this 
particular  study.  These  standards  were  obtained  by  plotting  a 
frequency  curve  of  tests  made  in  our  laboratory  for  a  period  of 
ten  years  of  the  several  seeds,  and  taking  the  classes  between 
which  the  largest  number  of  units  occurred  as  the  standard.  This 
method  may  be  somewhat  inaccurate,  especially  where  only  a  few 
samples  are  taken,  but  it  at  least  gives  a  good  indication  of  what 
good  seed  should  germinate  under  favorable  conditions.  The 
following  chart  of  onion  seed  illustrates  the  method  described 
above. 


PACKET  VEGETABLE    SEED 


109 


CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION 


BULLETIN    283 


Table  III.     Table  of  Germination   Standards  Adopted  for 
Comparative  Purposes. 


Number  of  Tests 
Kind  of  Seed  Germination  Standard      Used  to  Obtain  Data 

Beans    90  to  100% 

Beet    85 

Cabbage   85 

Carrot     70 

Sweet  Corn  90 

Cucumber    85 

Lettuce   80 

Onion    85 

Parsnip     40 

Peas    90 

Radish    85 

Squash    85 

Spinach    70 

Note:  The  germination  of  beet  seed  was  determined  by  counts  of  the 
number  of  seed  balls  germinating  and  not  by  number  of  sprouts.  No 
standards  were  set  for  New  Zealand  Spinach,  because  it  is  frequently 
very  difficult  to  make  the  seed  germinate  in  a  germinator  while  the  same 
seed  may  grow  very  well  when  planted  under  outdoor  conditions.  It  may 
be  noted  from  the  germination  tables  that  there  is  a  wide  variation  in  the 
results  on  this  seed. 


0  10070 

145 

•  100% 

99 

'  100% 

32 

•   80% 

59 

'  100% 

75 

•  100% 

69 

'  95% 

94 

'  99% 

779 

'  50% 

II 

'  100% 

.  167 

'  100% 

160 

'  95% 

29 

'  85% 

135 

Judging"  the  germination  of  the  seed  shown  in  Tables  I  and  II 
by  these  standards,  we  find  the  following  conditions : 


Seed 


Per  cent  of  Samples  above  Standard 


192s 


Beans   

Beet    o 

Carrot    100 

Corn     60 

Cucumber    

Lettuce    71.4 

Onion     66.6 

Radish    

Spinach    71.4 

Squash     


1926 

55 

12 

16 

14.2 

53-1 

63.6 

29.0 
28.5 
28.5 


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Connecticut 

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